DCN News - April 22, 2014

In this issue:

1. Explorit gets wirelessed
2. Heartbleed
3. Citywide broadband fiber
4. Ad-free email + community support
5. Davis Roots offers programming class
6. District Dollars updated
7. Classes

1. Omsoft, DCN, DJUSD help Explorit get a good wireless connection
DCN has built a wireless link between Explorit and Korematsu Elementary, giving Explorit its first good wireless Internet connection. The link seems to be working beautifully.

The donation originated with Omsoft, which gave about $750 in time and $300 in parts via DCN, which turned around and donated to Explorit. Rob Nickerson, president of Omsoft, is vice president of DCN.

Anne Hance, a founder of Explorit and longtime DCN trustee, passes along appreciation to the Davis Joint Unified School District for allowing Korematsu to be a way station helping the wireless signal reach Explorit.

2. No Heartbleed bug at Omsoft
You've probably read about the Heartbleed bug, and might have wondered whether it presents a risk to your DCN services. Here's an advisory from Rob Nickerson, president of Omsoft, which provides server space for DCN services and email accounts:

"Our servers do not use Open SSL, the implementation of SSL that has this problem. That being said, if your Omsoft/DCN email password is a common one that you use all over the Internet, it might be prudent to change your password with us. You may do so by working with Usermin, at: https://wheel.dcn.davis.ca.us:20000/"

3. Citywide broadband fiber
This subject will be worth tracking. On the consent calendar of the April 22 Davis City Council meeting, item G asks the council to authorize Chief Innovation Officer Rob White to seek proposals to use "city infrastructure to install a communications network that provides ultra-high speed, broadband fiber (gigabit and above), and other next-generation communications services citywide."

4. $30/year for ad-free email, plus community support
(We're sending this message out to the community via various channels and friends this spring. Please help us spread the word.)

If you are receiving this message, it is because you use one or more of DCN's Internet services for nonprofits and community groups.

Our prices to you have remained the same since 1993: free! Unfortunately, our costs have continued to rise.

If you appreciate using a local nonprofit that provides free websites, email listserves and community calendars, and would like to help DCN continue its services to the community, there are a number of ways you can help.

• Consider signing up for a DCN email account through our ISP partner Omsoft Technologies. Besides offering short and sweet "you@dcn.org" addresses, Omsoft provides extremely secure and private accounts. When you permanently delete an email, it really is deleted, not just moved to a little trashcan in the cloud. Also, no one at DCN or Omsoft is scanning your messages so that we can show you ads (we don't show ads). Technical advice and services are also available right here in Davis. The cost is only $2.50 per month, all of which goes directly to DCN.
• Donate to DCN! You may do so through Paypal by visiting the "Support DCN" link on our website. Or you can mail a check to:
  Davis Community Network
  1623 Fifth St.
  Davis, CA 95616
• Get involved with the DCN board of directors. We are always looking for fresh ideas and new energy!

5. Program or be programmed
Davis Roots is offering an Introduction to Programming class starting Saturday, April 26, and continuing on Saturdays through May. The class will feature the Python programming language, an excellent teaching language that's also widely used in Internet and scientific programming. DCN uses Python for most of its community applications. See http://davisroots.org/event/intro-programming-class/ for details.

6. District Dollars site updated for spring
The new update of District Dollars, a "web-based, interactive program to help you understand the DJUSD budget situation," went live this week. It features lots of new material on the state's new financing scheme and how it affects the Davis Joint Unified School District budget. DCN provides hosting and technical assistance for District Dollars.

7. Classes
We're reviewing topics for classes that to present this year, either this fall or possibly this spring. If you know of a need for a specific class this spring, please let us know as soon as possible, and we'll try to get something arranged before summer. Please send ideas to wmrbuchanan (at) gmail.com.